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Lebanon: Army Seizes Ammonium Nitrate, Equipment to Manufacture Captagon In Bekaa

Authorities seized 20 tons of the dangerous chemical stored inside a truck parked at a warehouse early this month. (NNA)
Authorities seized 20 tons of the dangerous chemical stored inside a truck parked at a warehouse early this month. (NNA)
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Lebanon: Army Seizes Ammonium Nitrate, Equipment to Manufacture Captagon In Bekaa

Authorities seized 20 tons of the dangerous chemical stored inside a truck parked at a warehouse early this month. (NNA)
Authorities seized 20 tons of the dangerous chemical stored inside a truck parked at a warehouse early this month. (NNA)

The Lebanese army on Tuesday said it has seized quantities of ammonium nitrate at a gas station in the country's northeastern region of Arsal in Bekaa.

“On October 4, and following information about the presence of ammonium nitrate in the town of Arsal, an army patrol and military intelligence conducted a raid on a gas station in the town and seized 28,275 kilograms of ammonium nitrate,” the Lebanese army said in a statement.

It added that the bags storing the material indicated a nitrogen content of 26 per cent. The Army sent samples of the seized substance to check the percentage of nitrogen it contains.

The military detained one Lebanese national and three Syrians in connection to the case.

In September, Lebanese authorities seized 20 tons of ammonium nitrate -- the same chemical behind a deadly explosion last year at Beirut’s port -- in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

On Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the detainees in the Bekaa Nitrate case appeared before the military investigative judge, Marcel Bassil. It said the file was referred to him by the Acting First Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawan.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati had announced earlier that the substance seized in Bekaa last month was different from the one that caused the explosion at the Beirut Port on August 4, 2020.

Ammonium nitrate is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as a fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades. At least 214 people were killed and some 6,500 others wounded on August 4, 2020 when a shipment of the chemical carelessly stocked at the Beirut port for years ignited and caused a massive blast.

Separately, an army patrol seized on Tuesday "Captagon-manufacturing equipment and other material," it said in the statement. The equipment was stored in several farms in the Bekaa Valley.

A Syrian man suspected of having links to the case was arrested.

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Arab World

Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.